Baking at Hot Springs, LTVA - (no, this isn't a "Foodie Post")

Katie and I are slowly making our way west to San Diego to visit the kids, celebrate Easter with family, and get my annual medical, dental and vision appointments taken care of. 

We are at Hot Springs LTVA a little east of Holtville, CA.  Wow, is it getting warm!  It's been 93 degrees in The Palms almost every day since we've been here.  If I get on it early and set the rig up before it gets too hot with window coverings, fans, etc. we do okay.  Right around 93 degrees I pull the cold neck wraps out of the fridge and those cool us off.  Right now it's 4:30 and 95.4 in here.  Surprisingly, though it feels warm, we're not tooo hot.

One day I had to turn on the A/C, I waited too long and we were HOT.  Once it gets to that point, nothing works except the Air Conditioning.

We are late this year heading to San Diego.  Previous years at this point we had already left San Diego and were in New Mexico by now.  So this heat is new for us, usually when we're here the weather is a bit cooler, but we haven't had any high winds, and that's nice.  Mornings are wonderful, afternoons are HOT and evenings are buggy.  But somehow, Katie and I are having a great time. 

Most of the RVs are gone - this spot is full of Canadians for the season, and when it 's time to head north, Hot Springs LTVA empties out.   There are just enough people here now to make it friendly, there are lots of good campsite available, and it's pretty quiet.  Things are winding down.

We got a very nice spot at the front of the campground, close enough to the trash that Katie and I have had just a short walk each day to dump the trash.  This is our first campsite - I loved it:

Then last week we went to El Centro for new tires and to have the truck smogged, and when we got back, a fifth wheel had driven through our site to get to the one between us and our neighbor in front of us.  He was very close - especially considering there was a whole, long empty space along the posts behind our site - enough to fit five other rigs.  Somehow it was important that he park right in front of us.  I had left our mat, two chairs and a table there to save our site.  I couldn't believe it when I returned late in the afternoon, steaming hot and super tired - and saw that rig there.

I parked The Palms down at the other end of the empty row and walked up and back three times to retrieve our stuff.  This new spot is actually more level and I like it better.  I think.  Jeez, what's with these unconscious people.  "It's alllllll about you, I know.  It's okay - I'll move."  Well, that's not exactly what I was thinking...  Ha!  I gave their rig the stink-eye a few times as I was moving my things, and haven't looked their way since.  That'll show em'!

So this is our new spot:

 Lots of room and privacy - nice!  Here are a couple of neighbors:

There are lots of those old poles and wires here - plenty of places for the birds to stand and check out what's going on.  Or just sit and rest.  

 You looking at ME?

Our first afternoon here Katie and I walked down to the Hot Springs to check it out again this year.  It was much prettier than last year, when all the reeds were laying on the top of the water.  They must have come in sometime during the year and cleaned out most of the dead reeds.

The other day one of my neighbors warned me about walking Katie down to the Hot Springs area.  There is a sign that no dogs were allowed, but I thought that meant inside the fence that's around the shower/hot springs area.  She said no, a woman was walking her dog down in that area outside the fence and a Ranger came up and gave her a $300 fine.  No warning, just fined her.  Needless to say, we won't be walking across the street again.  There is a double vault toilet building over there, and that's the cut-off point.  No dogs beyond the toilet building.  I'm sure glad we didn't get caught past that point.  :)

I am SO enjoying my clean, waxed motor home! It was so bad, and now when I see a piece of dirt or dust I grab something to clean it off.  THERE WILL BE NO BUGS ALLOWED!  I'm keeping up with the tires, too, using the 303 Aerospace spray that is so highly recommended by my friends.  

I had to e-mail Dr. Don at Foothills Animal Clinic in Yuma on Saturday.  Poor Katie - her ankle mass was so large and hard I was worried.  She didn't act like it was bothering her, but I wanted more info from Don on the prescription he mentioned.  He e-mailed me back and said he would send an Rx to any pharmacy near us if I needed it.  In the meantime, I'm going to keep using aspirin.  I think between our morning walks to the trash cans and our campground strolls in the evenings, and maybe the heat, it's been too much for her.  Luckily the ground here is flat and smooth enough for me to easily push Katie in the stroller, and that's what we're going to do.

This is what her ankle looked like the last time we walked.  Poor thing.  But she LOVES riding in the stroller, so that's what we're doing now.

I had a couple of hot, tense, stressful days in El Centro last week, Wednesday and Thursday.  Then I went back this morning.  I'm going to post about them next time, when I've completely calmed down.  And I'll post a recommendation, a non-recommendation and a warning.  I'm so glad it's done and OVER.

From me and Katie, melting away at Hot Springs LTVA, have a great Monday, everyone!  :)